It's my birthday and I'll do what I want to
by Thatkliqkid
Summary: Oneshot.Slash. Set in 1995. It's Shawn Michaels' birthday and he'll do what he wants to.


It was hot in the club, hotter still when squashed between the leather seat and Kevin. Hunter wasn't sure how long they'd been here, hidden away in the shadows of the booth surrounded by flashing lights and getting half deafened by noise trying to pass itself off as music.

" Are you finished with that?"

" What?" Hunter strained to hear the words over the beat of the music.

" Are you finished with that?" yelled Shawn pantomiming with his hands to emphasise the glass sat in front of Hunter.

He nodded, expecting Shawn to push the glasses together to the edge of the table ready for the bartender to collect on his next round. Instead he watched as Shawn turned the glasses over, forming some kind of base with the overturned tumblers.

He reached expectantly for Kevin's who wrenched it as far in Hunter's direction as possible leaving the Texan grasping at air.

"I'm not finished with mine!"

" But I need it!"

" You can have it when I'm done"

" Hunter go get another drink"

" Ask for other people's empty glasses" suggested Kid

" That's gross. I don't want glasses other people have had their mouths all over."

" Hunter's had his mouth on that one," Scott pointed out

" That's different. His mouth doesn't matter."

"Oh thanks" said Hunter sarcastically.

" Go get another drink! I need more glasses"

" I don't want another drink"

" It's my birthday!"

" Well aware of that Shawnie. You keep pointing it out every two seconds." replied Kevin rolling his eyes.

" Yeah well, you're supposed to do what I want on my birthday"

" What kind of spoiled assed kid were you?" laughed Hunter

" I was the youngest," Shawn shrugged, " Gotta have some perks"

" God knows you dipped out on brains and beauty," teased Kevin, downing the rest of his drink, " Anyone want anything at the bar?"

" Beer and shots," Shawn requested.

" Nothing for me thanks"

" You're getting a drink"

" I don't want one"

" I want the glass though. Get Hunter a beer or something," commanded Shawn.

" I don't drink,"

" It's my birthday!"

" I don't care, I'm not drinking just because you want to build some dumb tower of glasse-"

Kevin rose, knocking Hunter pointedly in his haste. He shot him a significant look, Shawn was already well on his way to being hammered, arguing with him wasn't the wisest of decisions. Furthermore Hunter hadn't been around long enough to be giving Shawn grief, let alone to be sat provoking Shawn's temper.

" You sure you don't want a drink? It's pretty warm in here."

" Jesus, if it's that big a deal just get me a coke"

" You want a hand with the drinks Kev?" asked Scott, Kid followed behind leaving Shawn and Hunter alone in the booth.

It was tense. The gap seemed to widen between them in the wake of the rest of the clique's departure.

Eventually Shawn forced conversation, tired of listening to the annoying dance music that was infiltrating his brain.

" You don't like me very much do you?" he asked, shuffling the glasses around in front of him, acting as if he was some great architect planning the next Taj Mahal as opposed to some drunken fool messing around.

" What?" Hunter stared blankly.

Shawn exhaled with annoyance before leaning across, pressing his lips to Hunter's ear.

" I said, you don't like me very much do you?"

" Haven't known you long enough to form an opinion," lied Hunter.

" Bullshit," Shawn's chuckle was loud and breathless against Hunter's earlobe, " People make opinions within the first second of meeting someone. You've known me three months. You got an opinion. You just don't like me."

Hunter squirmed inwardly. It wasn't that he hated Shawn, he did in fact like him, he just didn't really get him. All he'd really gathered from the past three months was that the man had an attitude and a fondness for taking drugs to accelerate his bad moods. He was beginning to see beneath the surface sometimes though, even if it was rare for Shawn to be as open with him as he was with Kevin or Scott. He didn't really trust many people and even though Hunter had broken into the inner circle of the clique, he wasn't exactly one of the elite yet either. He was still waiting for Shawn to allow him access to the actual friendship of the group instead of lackey status. He had to appreciate the politeness he occasionally got from Shawn, case in point, he had actually asked if he was done with his glass at first, he'd merely gone to take Kevin's. The bonus point was sort of a marker though, showed the walls Shawn had erected and refused to let crumble between them.

Realising his silence was probably cementing Shawn's insecurity and giving the impression that he despised him, Hunter fought for the words to tell him otherwise.

" I don't not like you," Hunter tried, " I got you a card -"

He faltered, the sentence trailing into nothingness, as if swallowed by the music thumping through the club.

" Yeah?"

" Yeah," he agreed.

" You never gave it to me this morning,"

" I know. It seemed kind of stupid when everyone else had got you gifts and all I had was some lame card"

" I wanna see it," Shawn decided.

" No you don't-"

" Come on show me it," demanded Shawn, " I promise I'll like it."

" Shawn, you won't," he protested feebly.

" I promise!"

" No it's dumb"

" Is it in your pocket?" asked Shawn

" No!" denied Hunter quickly, " Get off!"

Shawn searched Hunter's pockets paying no heed to his commands to be left alone. He surfaced triumphantly clutching a blue envelope, his name printed neatly across the front. He flipped it over, tore at the seal eagerly.

Hunter grappled for his wrist and Shawn pulled away, laughing as he retreated to the opposite side of the seat, erecting his knees as barriers.

" Shawn don't,"

" Shush, reading."

" Shawn!"

He lowered the card, grinning slightly as he stared across at Hunter's stricken features.

" It's a nice card. Thank you. I like the balloons on the front, very appropriate-"

" See I knew you'd just turn it into a joke"

" I'm not, I like it really. You even put 'love from Hunter' in there. I'm impressed."

" Whatever,"

" No seriously Hunter, it's a nice card."

" It is not. It's some crappy gas station card that I had to pick up between towns."

" I don't care, I mean at least you got me one. Nobody else did."

" No one?"

" Nope. Just you."

Hunter remained silent, unsure of what to say. Shawn was still smiling, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

" Oh well I'll just be the official card giver, Kev can do gifts," he joked eventually, trying to shirk off the discomfort.

" Hell no. Next year I get a gift and card. I let it slide because you're new but next year I want a proper gift"

" Ok then" he laughed.

" See big man, told you they wouldn't kill each other," commented Scott sliding back into the booth, shots firmly in hand. He passed one to Kid who resumed his seat beside him and passed the other across to Shawn. Kevin squeezed back in between Shawn and Hunter, handed Hunter his coke before passing Shawn a beer.

" I wouldn't kill Hunter," said Shawn defensively.

" Yeah, who'd carry your bags then?" jibed Kid.

"You," smirked Shawn, " Ok, are we doing shots or what?"

" What's that?" asked Kevin, noticing Shawn clutching something in his left hand.

" Birthday card," he answered before gulping his shot in one swallow, smacking the glass to the table top,

Scott and Kid followed suit, they'd barely brought the glasses from their lips when Shawn started rounding them up, balancing them on top of the last collection.

" From someone nice?" teased Kevin handing Shawn his empty glasses.

" Someone great," Shawn replied, sipping at the dregs of his beer. He caught Hunter's eye and grinned, " Hurry up with your drink."

" I'm trying!"

" Well try harder"

" You know I hope I can be this annoying on my birthday."

" You can do what you want on your birthday, right now this is mine and I'm telling you to drink faster!"

" I'll remember that on Thursday then," announced Hunter.

" You do that. Glass please"

Hunter handed it and Shawn placed it on top of the rest.

" Ta da!" he sang, holding his hands out triumphantly to show his handiwork.

" You're an idiot," Kev informed him, surveying the makeshift pyramid of glass, some of the rims still slick with alcohol.

" I'm creative."

" No, still an idiot."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, allowing the music to fill the quiet. It seemed like it was getting softer now the night was winding down. Shawn figured they should probably set off soon if they were going to get Nashville in good time for the PPV tomorrow. He liked it here too much though, amongst his buddies with the buzz of alcohol in his veins and the warmth of Hunter's card in his hand. He watched as Kevin and Scott had an animated conversation about something that had happened on the European tour, allowed his attention to drift, trying to figure when he'd have a chance to get Hunter a card. Figured the least he could do was return the gesture. He smiled, remembering the look on Hunter's face when he thought he'd been teasing him - maybe the kid did like him after all.


End file.
